The 2019 All-New Subaru Forester Is the Roomiest, Smoothest, Most Versatile Ever Made

Compact crossovers are a popular choice these days as they fit almost every driving occasion. To keep up with its competitors, Subaru has beefed up the upcoming Forester with extraordinary new features, functionality, and more.

Town&Country was given the chance to experience the all-new, fifth-generation model at its regional launch in Taiwan. Here’s what we gathered from our drive in the 2019 Subaru Forester.

It’s the biggest and roomiest Forester to date.

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First things first: size. It is the “roomiest, most capable and most versatile” Forester ever made, and it definitely checks out. From headroom to hip and shoulder room, there’s certainly more space in the new car than its predecessors. Not to mention, the rear gate’s width and the expanded cargo volume which can comfortably fit a set of golf clubs.

It’s equipped with groundbreaking safety technology.

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The Forester now comes standard with Subaru’s EyeSight system. The revolutionary driver assist technology helps prevent accidents using automatic precollision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure and swag warning, and lane-keep assist. The model will also have DriverFocus, described by Subaru as a “driver monitoring system that uses facial recognition software to identify signs of driver fatigue or driver distraction.”

More: The Incredible Car Safety Technology That Works Like A Second Set of Eyes

There’s a new trim for the fifth-generation model.

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Though Subaru has nixed the turbocharged engine, there is a new Sport trim that comes with black and orange exterior, interior accents, and black 18-inch wheels. The Forester Sport is also given a handy Sport Sharp driving mode, in addition to the Subaru WRX STI Intelligent Drive, that fully maximizes the Subaru Boxer engine. What replaces the turbocharged XT trim is a 2.5-liter flat-four with 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque.

The upgraded X-MODE function enhances off-road performance.

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If you’re the type of adventurer who enjoys off-roading from time to time, you’ll be glad to know that the Forester comes with an updated X-MODE function that allows drivers to traverse challenging terrain. The function has two modes: Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud that allows optimized control of the engine, all-wheel drive, brakes, and more. There’s also a hill descent control function which maintains the vehicle’s speed when going on downhill slopes.

Expect a much smoother and quieter ride.

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To say that the Forester’s drivability is outstanding would be an understatement. With a redesigned chassis, you can be assured of a smoother driving experience—one with less shake and less noise all around. Likewise, the fifth-generation’s body is now made up of four percent extensive high-strength steel that makes handling much easier and safer be it through challenging terrain and any road condition.

Motor Image Pilipinas, 187 Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, San Juan; 727.8333; subaru-global.com.